A Walk Around the Bay

On a recent day off from work,

the sun was shining

the sky was clear and beautiful

so my wife and some friends decided

to talk a walk.

This "fence" is about halfway along the walk.

I think it was put there to discourage people

from walking on the iceplant,

but it put me in mind of a Shinto gate -

interesting, since a hundred years ago,

Japanese immigrant fishermen lived where we were walking.

The park at Lover's Point.

Looking back at Lover's Point across the beach.

Same palm tree in the last two pictures.

A wondrous place to rest, think, pray,

share a quiet moment with a loved one.

Hey, don't forget to "click in" so you can

see the pictures larger and larger!

You can see the mountains on the other side of the bay.

This is not always the case here!

Thank you for joining me on this rare multi-pic jaunt.

By the way, the title is a bit of a misnomer.

We did not actually walk all the way around the bay.

:8-D

Split the Sky

This leaves me a little speechless.

It is simply a cloud reflecting the light of the rising sun,

but it looks like the sky is splitting open.

This was directly above me,

so I just looked straight up

and snapped the photo.

I guess even from 93 million miles away

when the blazing glory of our home star

reflects simultaneously on gazillions

of airborne water droplets

the resulting splendor is

...well...

SPLENDID!

Taken today (28 January 2011).

Spiral Art

Art installation suspended from the ceiling

in the Monterey Convention Center.

It looks a bit different from alternate angles:

I didn't find a plaque or sign that would tell me the artist and title.

I would love to know the story of its conception, creation, and installation.

It is like:

kelp

waves

DNA

Jacob's Ladder

birds in flight

Be sure to click on the pics for closer inspection!

Cigar Factory with Palm

This former cigar factory in Ybor City,

Tampa, Florida,

has been converted to office space.

Attractive in the most literal sense:

Shape and shadow of the arch detail above the windows,

brickwork "ledge" below second-story windows,

neatly painted crown detail across the top.

Note the iron hinges on either side of each window;

one lonely pair of shutters remains to explain and represent.

Taken on 2 August 2010.

The Bell Told

An historic bell in a courtyard near Custom House Plaza

in Monterey, California.

I snapped this photo late in the day

on 31 December 2010.

I should stop by on a sunny afternoon

and catch how this scene would look

in better light.

Iron and Stone Portal

This street level entrance to a local residence

is more than a little foreboding.

I would love to know the story behind

its creation.

When I see it I always imagine

it is a portal

into another dimension

or

back in time.

Taken 19 January 2011.

Street Art #10: Washington, DC

I was just walking to the Safeway (grocery store) from my hotel.

In fact, I got lost because I was looking for a big ol' parking lot;

most Safeways I have experienced over the past forty years or so

have LARGE signage and parking lots that take up more space

than the store itself.

This Safeway did not even have it's own parking lot at all,

and it had a rather unassuming entrance

at the corner of a high-rise apartment building.

I finally found it, though, and snagged some snackage.

BUT

this photo is not of the Safeway store (really?)

This art installation grabbed my attention.

It is done in grafitto style,

but it is sheet metal

cut, layered, and painted.

Cherry's #9

I am always convinced that these automobiles speak for themselves.

They are simply art on wheels.

Besides, they usually leave me more or less speechless.

Silence Is Golden.

Better to be seen and not heard.

So I'll shut up already

and let the pics

have their

thousand words.

Psssssttt!

Don't forget to click on 'em for a closer look,

and click on 'em a second time for an even closer look!

Stylish Blogger Award!

OK.

Being a relative novice at blogging,

I couldn't figure how to share this news

other than just straight up posting it.

MIKE over at Just 2 Techy

has graciously honored me with

The Stylish Blogger Award!

Thank you so much, Mike!

I am amazed, surprised, delighted, and otherwise

driven to goofy facial expressions

that convey alternating shades of

disbelief, pride, happiness,

and overall pshaw-ness.

I must say I am truly honored!

AND

this award comes with some

delightfully FUN

rules.

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you.

DONE.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

BELOW.

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.

[Do I have to ask their permission first?

I didn't.

Be happy imminent awardees!]

BELOW.

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

IMMINENT.

Allrighty, then.

Seven things about myself:

Ahem.

1. I am a musician and music fanatic.  I listen to nearly all types of music from classic jazz to rock to hiphop.  I have a collection of recordings that numbers in the thousands.  Recently finished digitizing about 1500 audiotapes; am currently working on digitizing close to 3000 vinyl LPs (visit one of my other blogs - FastEddie's Wax Museum).

2. I am a (formerly professional) linguist.  I have studied and achieved varying levels of proficiency in Spanish, French, Greek, Chinese, Korean, Bahasa Malay, and Hebrew.

3. I have been married continuously to the same fabulous woman for over thirty-seven (37) years. YAY!

4.  I have a pug named Bossley.  He is awesome.  He was preceded by our previous pug, Borgnine.

5. I have lived in 53 different domiciles in my life, in ten different US states and three other countries.

6. I REALLY LIKE peanut butter.

7. I once wanted to "through-hike" the Appalachian Trail until I read a hiker's blog in which he told a story of waking up with a mouse on his face nibbling on his lip (he forgot to wash off his sunscreen before he went to sleep).

Whew!

And here are the fifteen GREAT BLOGGERS (it was harder than I thought it would be to limit it to fifteen; I've seen A LOT of great blogs recently!):

[btw, these are in no particular order]

(G)REENWICH (V)ILLAGE (D)AILY (P)HOTO

Continuous Shutter

Poetic Shutterbug

HH Photography

Tulsa Gentleman

Another View

A Hebridean in New Zealand

Ocala Daily Photo

Eye Liquor

Commonplace Beauty Photography

My Reflections As I Shutter Along...

Occasional Toronto

Virginia Through My Lens

Through The Milkhouse Door

Beta Dad

Whew, again, with FEELING!

Thanks again to Mike!

I encourage y'all to go check out these great blogs.  I've been enjoying them greatly!



Canted Lamp

This lamppost next to "The Bathhouse"

at Lover's Point in Pacific Grove, CA,

is tilting it's head.

Is it:

a) tired?

b) listening?

c) curious?

d) surprised?

or

e) about to fall unexpectedly on some unfortunate passerby

and initiate an international news event:

"Tourist Does Not See Light"

Fabric Pattern #2

For some reason that is utterly

obscure to me now

I imagined that the paper clip

would add interest

to this photograph.

Or maybe I was just taking a picture

of the paper clip

thinking I could crop the photo

in some fascinating manner

before I shared it.

Whatever.

(as "they" say)

The fabric itself

is exponentially more interesting

than the paper clip.

However,

if you don't mind my saying,

having a perfectly unabridged

paper clip

in the middle of my

"fabric pattern"

is

at the very least

an ice breaker.

And for all you tens of paper clip enthusiasts out there

the paper clip itself

cries out,

"Believe in me!

Trust me!

Own me!"

Right?

Or

maybe it is a completely

disastrous

pathetic

paltry

silly

and otherwise misconceived

photo.

Anyway, I like the color and pattern of the fabric.

So, please try to ignore the paper clip.

Or sublimate.

Look BEYOND the paper clip.

As I said earlier,

"Whatever."

Taken 8 October 2010.

Because it matters!

Art of the Crack

More or less random

shot of cracks in the concrete

of a parking garage in Southern California.

Like an ancient map...

Taken 13 October 2010.

Four Corners

It's just four frames coming together

on a hotel room wall,

but it caught my attention.

Patterns and textures.

Geometry, lines,

a little color reflecting

from a nearby lamp

invading at the lower right.

Bright Light, Deep Shadows

Striking brickwork on this edifice in Georgetown (DC).

If you look closely

(by clicking on the image)

you can see the triangular shadows along the top

are formed by bricks laid at an angle.

Taken 19 November 2010.

Street Art #9: Colorado Springs

This is the last of my pictures of Street Art from the Depot Arts District in Colorado Springs,

so I have included the "whole building" picture below

as punctuation.

I'm kind of amazed at the way the tin roof is painted.

Now I'll be posting "Street Art" from other locations...!

All of the Colorado Springs Street Art pictures were taken on 18 July 2010.

Anaheim Atrium

Looking up from just inside the main entrance

of the Anaheim Convention Center.

Taken 13 October 2010.

Window Painting

Took this picture today

while enduring our inspection

for a house we are about to buy.

The camelia thru the dining room window

looked interesting in person.

The photo makes it look almost surreal.

Taken 11 January 2011.

Castaways

Sundry castoffs that have supposedly served their purpose,

gathered together randomly,

yet they seem to be huddled together in determined solidarity,

like long estranged family members

posing to preserve a moment of reunion.

Taken 8 October 2010.

Study in Shadows

I saw so many interesting things for my eyes to linger on in this setting:

brickwork, tile, awning, molded concrete,

but the most interesting aspect to me was the depth and character

of the shadows;

especially the details in the brick part of the column,

and the triangles created by the shapes in the concrete

base of the columns.

This is an entrance to the Shops at Georgetown Park

in Georgetown, Washington, DC.

Taken 20 November 2010.

Cherry's #8

Taken at Cherry's Jubilee,

Laguna Seca, California,

September 2010.

Fabric Pattern #1

Starting a new series: Fabric Patterns

I had begun to notice some interesting patterns on fabric in various forms and uses;

took pictures of some and noticed that

(to me at least)

this really makes a fascinating subject;

i.e., intriguing photographs.

This fabric was the upholstery in a booth we occupied for lunch

at a local Chinese restaurant.

Taken 1 October 2010 in Monterey, CA.

REMINDER:

If you have not discovered the joys of enlarging the photos by clicking on them,

I strongly encourage you to try it.

After you have "opened" it by clicking on it,

clicking on it again makes it even larger.

For this particular photo

that means you can actually see the weave of the fabric.

Cool.

Benches From Above

This is an artful courtyard,

especially from a bird's eye view.

The pattern of the benches appears to be some kind of hieroglyphic...

or Morse Code...

or Alien Alphabet...

Whatever,

it is very pleasant to behold.

Who can argue with guardian palm trees?

Taken on 13 October 2010,

at the Anaheim Convention Center,

Anaheim, California, USA.

Centro Espanol

Snagged a snap of this interesting building during a stroll through Ybor City in Tampa, Florida, back in August 2010.

The brickwork and the accent details caught my eye;

also the wrought iron balconies are an appealing feature.

There is a nice article about the history of this building HERE.

Desert Road

Descending toward Bullhead City and Laughlin

on the journey back from Arizona to California.

You can see the sparkle of the Colorado River

beneath that blazing fireball in the sky.

Taken 26 November 2010.